Signs restricting parking for residents from 8am to 9pm have now been erected all over the place in Sliema with extremely limited space, if any, left for non-Sliema residents including office employees who work in the locality and service providers.

Besides excessive parking spaces reserved for residents beyond what I believe is required, I ask whether this is the way to treat such employees. Are we also telling entrepreneurs who have invested in their offices and businesses to just pack up and move to somewhere else?

It is inconceivable how we allow a local council to do whatever it wants on the eve of a local council election and be inconsiderate to others who also need to park in Sliema. After all, Sliema is a locality in Malta, same as other localities that are there for all Maltese to visit.

If we need to reserve a number of parking spaces for residents, so be it, so long as these are reasonable and not going to such extreme! If parking is to be restricted, it should be during the times residents return from work in the late afternoon and not all day. Same as the Sliema local council took swift and selfish action to protect its interests, I hope that the Government will take corrective action to demonstrate it can safeguard the interests of all Maltese citizens, irrespective of their locality.